DELAWARE - A Pennsylvania law firm is investigating a potential class action lawsuit against Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant after the company abruptly closed all of its locations on Sept. 25 with little or no notice to employees, according to workers CoastTV spoke with.
The firm, Sauder Schelkopf, is exploring whether Iron Hill violated the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires employers with 100 or more full-time workers to provide 60 days’ written notice before mass layoffs or business closures.
Just over a week after the shutdown, Iron Hill filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Oct. 4, initiating a full liquidation of the company.
"I found out three hours before coming in for my shift," said Daniel Hazard, who had worked as a server at Iron Hill since October 2024. "Everyone was shocked and disappointed." Hazard added, "I actually have already submitted my information to the law firm."
If the company is found to have violated the WARN Act, former employees could be entitled to up to 60 days of back pay and benefits, according to the Sauder Schelkopf website.
Iron Hill was owned by A&M Capital, a multi-strategy private equity investment firm. A&M Capital declined to comment when asked about the closures or the potential class action investigation.
CoastTV reached out to the Delaware Restaurant Association for insight into why Iron Hill went bankrupt. However, the association stated it did not know the reason behind the closure.
CoastTV also contacted the law firm Sauder Schelkopf to ask how many former employees had reached out. The firm responded, "We do not currently have a case on file."